The Carthage Masonic Lodge will offer parents insurance to make sure they can help police in case a parent’s worst nightmare comes to pass.

The local Masonic Lodge No. 197 will work with the Missouri Masonic Children’s Foundation MoCHIP, the Missouri Child Identification Program to offer parents a compact disc containing their child’s most recent picture, fingerprints and other information to help police find a missing child in case of kidnapping or other tragedy.

Experts will be available to fingerprint and photograph children from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 31 at the Grace Episcopal Church, 820 Howard St., Carthage.

David Jones, a member of the Lodge, said parents will receive a compact disc with their children’s information, then that information will be erased from the computers used to collect it.

“These discs are Amber-Alert-ready,” Jones said. “If, heaven forbid, something does happen to a child, the parent can take this disc straight to the police and this packet helps identify the child. It’s free of charge and we don’t keep any of the information, it’s all wiped from the computer.”

MoCHIP will collect the following information; digital photographs, digital fingerprints, child information and emergency contacts. The group will provide two laminated ID cards for the family.

The dental bite wafer provides an impression of the biting surface of a child’s mouth, which, like a fingerprint, is unique to each individual.

The wafer also collects enough saliva to provide a DNA sample and a source scent for trained dog search and recovery teams.